The field of the invention relates generally to electric motors having electronic controls, and more particularly, to electric motors having external antennas for relaying signals to and from electronic controls.
One of many applications for an electric motor is to operate a pump or a blower. The electric motor may be configured to rotate an impeller within a pump or blower to displace fluid. Many gas burning appliances include an electric motor, for example, without limitation, water heaters, boilers, pool heaters, space heaters, furnaces, and radiant heaters. In some examples, the electric motor powers a blower that moves air or a fuel/air mixture through the appliance. In other examples, the electric motor powers a blower that distributes air output from the appliance. Typically, these electric motors are enclosed within a motor housing to protect the motor from the environment and protect people from dangerous components of the motor.
One type of motor used in such systems is an alternating current (AC) induction motor. Another type of motor that may be used in the application described above is an electronically commutated motor (ECM). ECMs include, but are not limited to, brushless direct current (BLDC) motors, permanent magnet alternating current (PMAC) motors, and variable reluctance motors. Typically, these motors provide higher electrical efficiency than an AC induction motor. Some ECMs have an axial flux configuration in which the flux in the air gap extends in a direction parallel to the axis of rotation of the rotor.
Some known electric motors require electronic controls. These electronic controls are often enclosed inside the motor housing to protect the electronic controls from the environment. Some of these electronic controls incorporate radio-based communication capabilities, such as Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), and Wireless Personal Area Network (WPAN) capabilities, for communicating with handheld devices. One type of radio-based communication system is a Near Field Communication (NFC) system. Generally, an NFC system requires at least two inductive components that generate magnetic fields. When the components' magnetic fields overlap, the components will inductively transfer their currents and, thereby, exchange signals and information.
Some known radio-based communications systems have a limited range. For example, NFC components' magnetic fields generally have a very limited range, usually no more than 10 centimeters. However, electronic controls are typically positioned in the motor housing such that the antenna signal from the antenna incorporated in the electronic controls would not reach the exterior of the housing. Additionally, the typical metal enclosure interferes with the signal. Therefore, a user has to position a handheld device inside the housing to transmit the signal to and receive a signal from an antenna, such as an NFC antenna, on a typical motor, which is both awkward and dangerous for the user. Additionally, such antennas are difficult to repair or replace since they are inside the motor assembly. Furthermore, it is expensive to retrofit a motor to add radio-based communication capabilities.